The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-04-15
FRANCES AND DEATH.

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FRANCES AND DEATH.
An Interesting Chat with DR.. W. A. Ham,
mond ON IN Interestlng Subject.
sis it possible to freeze a human
being up for any length of time and
then restore consciousness"
''No; not with human being. 1t can
be done with some of the lower order
of animals. Frogs are the highest
grade to which it can be carried sue
cessfully."
''Why can't it be done to mene"
because, no matter how warm or
cold the atmosphere is, the tempera-
ture of human being in good health
is always ninety-eight degrees in life.
Reduce that temperature to the freez-
ing point and it would kill the person.
Now, the temperature of frog is al
ways the same as the surrounding air.
If the mercury goes up to one hundred
and ten degrees the frogs temperature
! goes up there. too, without doing him
any harm. In the same way it will go
down to zero and the frog will not mind
it. have frozen frog solid in block
OF ice. and after some time thawed him
out. and he would jump all around the
room. A frog is very hard to kill.
You can take his heart out and he will
still live. Cut his head off. tickle him
on one side with straw. and he will
draw up the leg on that side and push
the straw away"
''ls that purely mechanical action?"
'No; it's because a frogs brains
are not all in his head; some of them
are in his spinal column. and it is the
latter that directs his legs. For that
matter, believe. the brains of human
being are not all i'm the head either. A
girl plays piano and carries on con-
versation at the same time. The brains
in her spine govern the action of her
hands and the brains i'm her head allow
her to talk"
as it possible for men to go into
frances that could be mistaken for
death?"
Eyes; it is quite certain that an APP
parent cessation of all the vital func-
tions may take place without the en-
tire loss of vitality, which would leave
the organism in the condition of dead
body to be speedily disintegrated by
the operation of chemical or physical
agencies. The state of syncope is at
times SD complete that the hearts ac-
ton can not be perceived nor any re-
spiratory movements be observed, all
power of movement being for the time
abolished, and yet recovery has spOn-
taneously taken place. which could
scarcely be the case if all vital action
had been suspended. The best authen-
ticated case of this kind is that of Col
onel Townsend, that occurred in the
early part of this century, and Of which
the world has about lost sight.
at is described by DR.. George
Cheyne. who was an eyewitness. He
says the Colonel possessed the remark
able faculty of throwing himself in
trance ut pleasure. The heart ceased
apparently to throb At his bidding; res
piration seemed at an end. His whole
frame assumed an icy chill and rigidity
of death. while his features became col
orlcss and CHASTITY and his eyes fixed
and glazed. Even his mind ceased to
manifest itself, for during the trance
it was willingly as devoid of conscious
ness rs his body of animation. 4 pol
ished mirror held before his mouth was
not in the least dimmed. The physi.
clans were about leaving him for dead
when there were signs of returning ami
nation. He came back slowly to per-
feet life again after being in the trance
state for half an hour.
'Among the Indian fakirs this simu-
lating of death is by no means of rare
occurrence. There was one case re-
ported by the English officers in which
a fakir was buried in an underground
cell for six weeks. and strict guard
kept meanwhile. Twice during the
interment the body was dug up and had
been found in the same position as
when first buried. After six weeks the
fakir was brought back to conscious
ness. IN. Y. Herald.